How a teacher greets students, takes care of logistics, and begins his or her lessons is CRUCIAL! During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson?
Before class begins, CT is standing at the front of the room with her grade book in hand, presumably ready to check homework. CT greets most students as they enter the room and answers students when they ask questions. For example, she grants one student permission to go to his locker and another student permission to use the bathroom. She asks one student how he did with his homework last night, and refers two students to the library to see if there are loaner Chromebooks available since they forgot theirs and will need one for class. Although some students have questions and some ask to briefly leave the room,the majority of the students come in, find their assigned seats, and look up to the board at the "Before Class Begins..." section. This is essentially like a "Do-Now" and many students get right to work.
Throughout this time, CT directs students to complete the "Before Class..." assignment that requires them to use google docs on their Chromebooks. The assignment is to look over three sections of their labs using a checklist (i.e. Do you have three "percents" in the evidence section? Is the evidence section at least five sentences long?).
After about seven minutes (starting once the majority of students had taken a seat), CT begins to walk around the classroom, checking students' labs for completeness. She tells them that she is eyeing the length and checking for key words to quickly see if students completed their homework, which was to complete the evidence section. The students who forgot their Chromebooks were not able to borrow any from the library so CT checks their homework from her computer. Then, CT transitions into the lesson of the day by telling students that their lab reports are not complete without a conclusion. Therefore, she will teach them about writing conclusions.
The lesson is guided note taking. CT uses an ELMO to fill out the note with the students. Then, she projects one student's lab report on the front board and the class evaluates the evidence section as a whole. She hopes that this will show students what she expects.
Overall, this CT seems to be well liked by her students. They were well behaved and mostly on task. Although the lesson was not very exciting, she presented the information well. I want to see her use more questioning and more appropriate wait time throughout her lesson. I wonder if this might get more students engaged in her teaching. I am looking forward to future visits!
Before class begins, CT is standing at the front of the room with her grade book in hand, presumably ready to check homework. CT greets most students as they enter the room and answers students when they ask questions. For example, she grants one student permission to go to his locker and another student permission to use the bathroom. She asks one student how he did with his homework last night, and refers two students to the library to see if there are loaner Chromebooks available since they forgot theirs and will need one for class. Although some students have questions and some ask to briefly leave the room,the majority of the students come in, find their assigned seats, and look up to the board at the "Before Class Begins..." section. This is essentially like a "Do-Now" and many students get right to work.
Throughout this time, CT directs students to complete the "Before Class..." assignment that requires them to use google docs on their Chromebooks. The assignment is to look over three sections of their labs using a checklist (i.e. Do you have three "percents" in the evidence section? Is the evidence section at least five sentences long?).
After about seven minutes (starting once the majority of students had taken a seat), CT begins to walk around the classroom, checking students' labs for completeness. She tells them that she is eyeing the length and checking for key words to quickly see if students completed their homework, which was to complete the evidence section. The students who forgot their Chromebooks were not able to borrow any from the library so CT checks their homework from her computer. Then, CT transitions into the lesson of the day by telling students that their lab reports are not complete without a conclusion. Therefore, she will teach them about writing conclusions.
The lesson is guided note taking. CT uses an ELMO to fill out the note with the students. Then, she projects one student's lab report on the front board and the class evaluates the evidence section as a whole. She hopes that this will show students what she expects.
Overall, this CT seems to be well liked by her students. They were well behaved and mostly on task. Although the lesson was not very exciting, she presented the information well. I want to see her use more questioning and more appropriate wait time throughout her lesson. I wonder if this might get more students engaged in her teaching. I am looking forward to future visits!